After wanting to "sentence" Harry for tracking mud on the floor, why did Flich let Harry leave his office without a punishment?
Filch decides to make an example of Harry, saying, “it’s only a bit of mud to you, boy, but to me it’s an extra hour of scrubbing!” Just as Filch is about to hand down Harry’s sentence, Peeves the school poltergeist bangs on the ceiling. While Harry waits for Filch to return from chasing Peeves, he notices a large fancy envelope on Filch’s desk. He picks it up and reads, “Kwikspell: A Correspondence Course in Beginner’s Magic.” Intrigued, he reads the parchment inside. When Filch returns, he notices that the letter isn’t where he left it. Sputtering, Filch asks Harry if he read it. Harry lies “No” quickly. Harry is alarmed at Filch’s appearance, assuming that he is furious. Filch, flustered, stutters through shock that Harry read his private correspondence, then claims that it’s not his, it’s a friend’s. Then he lets Harry go, telling him not to breathe a word.
